Generators offer insurance for storms ahead

Monday

Dec 24, 2012 at 3:15 AMDec 24, 2012 at 5:40 AM

By Heikki PerryThe Green Alliance

GREENLAND -- Heart-breaking scenes of devastation, stories of lives lost, and homes and businesses destroyed by hurricane Sandy on the Mid-Atlantic coast rightfully overshadow a more pedestrian concern in the aftermath of a storm: access to a reliable supply of power.

But its loss is a serious concern.

Seacoast New Hampshire and areas of Maine also suffered power outages from Sandy as they did from Irene, and ice storms in the last decade have cut power to thousands of homes and businesses for weeks at a time, representing two of several reasons why a local power expert sees a disturbing trend of power disruptions.

“We have many customers coming in saying they’re experiencing more power outages now, either because there are more people on the grid or the utilities don’t take care of downed power lines as quickly as they used to. In my experience there are more power outages than there were 25 to 30 years ago. And with the devastation of storms such as Katrina, Irene and Sandy, people are frustrated with the amount of time it takes for power to come back on,” says Gino Milne, manager of the Newington Rockingham Electric Supply Co. store, located at the southern entrance to the General Sullivan Bridge connecting Newington and Dover, one of nine Rockingham Electric sales locations across New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts.

Rockingham Electric has experienced a significant increase in generator sales during the past three years, Milne says, adding, “It seems like it’s become a mainstream appliance, given the number of storms and power outages we’ve experienced over the last few years. People have been put over the edge, so they decide to get one.”

Who should get generators? Any homeowner or business owner who is worried about the possibility of a lengthy power outage, Milne says.

“Getting a generator is basically like getting an insurance policy, something any homeowner or small-business owner should consider, especially the owner of a convenience store gas station. That’s where people go for gasoline for their own portable generator. Any homeowner who has seen the news of the devastation that occurred in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut last month should be thinking of a generator, especially when some people in the New York area haven’t had power for three weeks. That’s a long time.”

This is especially true for families with kids or elderly people in the household with special medical needs.

Rockingham Electric differentiates itself from big box stores such as Home Depot and Lowe’s by employing an accessible, informed sales staff, offering factory warranties for its generators, and selling, overall, a better product, Milne says, factors that make a difference to customers who need help in making this type of purchase.

“It’s not like you’re going to buy a TV or chainsaw, when you can do your due diligence, research the purchase, pick it off the shelf, bring it to the counter, pay for it and be on your way,” Milne says. “Generators are an important element that ensures life safety. You have to size it properly; you really need knowledgeable and experienced sales people, and you don’t get that at a big box store. Our sales staff asks customers the right questions, the answers to which allow the customers to understand what they are buying.”

Rockingham represents cutting-edge manufacturers such as Kohler, Siemens and Generac, big brand names in the generator game, allowing it to provide the customer with the right unit for the job. Those brand names are also at big box stores but with slight differences, Milne says.

And if something goes wrong with the generator, such as the carburetor heater not operating in the cold, Rockingham provides service, a factory representative that the big box stores don’t have. With a generator at a big box store the warranty starts once the generator leaves the factory, and it could sit on the shelf for six months before a customer buys it. At Rockingham, the warranty starts when the authorized technician starts it up for the first time at a customer’s home.

“The differences are small,” Milne says between Rockingham Electric and other retailers, “but collectively they do add up when you are spending $6,000 or $7,000 for equipment. If the generator won’t start, or the warranty is lapsed, that’s a big thing for the homeowner.”

Rockingham Electric sells two types of generators: standby generators that operate automatically. Once utility power fails, the generator, hooked up to an automatic transfer switch, senses a loss of power and starts the generator. And portable generators that homeowners can manually hook up to a transfer switch when they lose power.

Prices range from $1,000 to $15,000 depending on the kW size, which for residential applications range from 2 kW to 48kW. The most popular standby size is the 14 kW unit, which has an installed cost of around $8,000. The most popular portable unit is the 7.5kW, which costs about $1,200.

Rockingham Electric is a business partner of the Green Alliance, a union of local sustainable businesses promoting environmentally sound business practices, and a green co-op offering discounted green products and services to its members. GA members get $10 off any purchase of $100 or more at Rockingham Electric, and qualifying businesses can receive a free lighting audit. GA members can also save $10 on a variety of energy saving products.

For more information about Rockingham Electric, visit www.rockinghamelectric.com. And for more information about the Green Alliance, visit www.greenalliance.biz.

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